Spencer's mood turned negative as she walked into Mr. Fitz's classroom. She despised him more and more every day, not only because he was dating Aria, but also because he'd become increasingly petty with her. When she raised her hand to answer a question, he never picked her. Her participation score was dropping, and she was sure he was doing it on purpose. He wanted her to fail because she didn't approve of his grooming habits.

Spencer didn't acknowledge Mr. Fitz as the class said "Good morning" in unison. Instead, she turned her attention to Noel. As he took his seat, they focused on each other. A dynamic had developed between them since the party—whenever they saw each other, they instantly made eye contact. And even though they wouldn't say anything, their eyes said it all.

Spencer liked Noel; he seemed cool. But she despised the fact that he spent so much time with Ben. He deserved a better friend, because Ben's treatment of Emily and girls in general was horrible. He was making Noel look bad, which he didn't deserve. Ben, on the other hand, deserved to die alone.

Mona was another source of disgust. Her decision to side with Ben reinforced Spencer's negative opinion of her. It didn't matter if she disliked Emily; Ben was wrong for spreading rumors and ruining Emily's life. She wanted to confront Mona and make her see reason, but she knew it was pointless. Mona was too focused on her hatred to see the bigger picture.

Speaking of the devil, Mona entered the room with an exaggerated sway. "Mr. Fitz, I need to change my seat."

He looked up, confused. "I thought you liked sitting next to Hanna."

"Not anymore."

Hanna said, "The feeling is mutual."

Mona raised her hand in a dismissive "stop talking" motion, and the students laughed at the drama. She gave Mr. Fitz a look, showing she wouldn't sit until he moved her. His eyes scanned the room before landing on Noel. "You can switch with Noel."

"No!" Spencer and Noel exclaimed in unison. They exchanged uncomfortable glances, not expecting the other to react the way they did.

Spencer didn't want Noel to leave. Sitting next to him made the class pleasant, and Mr. Fitz was well aware of that. He clearly wanted her to be unhappy.

Mr. Fitz cast a questioning glance between them. "What's going on?"

Noel made up a lie. "I have terrible vision. I have to be up front."

"You might want to get glasses."

Spencer thought, "You might want to shut up."

Mr. Fitz had Mona switch seats with a boy before taking his place at the blackboard and starting the lesson. Spencer took notes, her pen moving across the page. Noel leaned over to her and said, "I'm sorry about Ben."

Spencer kept her eyes forward, not wanting to draw attention. "Why are you friends with a misogynist like him?"

"You know he wasn't always like this," Noel said, still pretending to concentrate on his notebook. "I think Emily made him develop a dislike for girls. But hey?" Spencer locked eyes with him. "I won't let Ben disrespect you. I'll mess him up. Badly."

She chuckled. "I believe you, Noel."

Noel nodded, and they knew they should have their eyes on the board, but they couldn't break eye contact. Her attention fell to his lips. They looked as kissable as they had been last night. She wanted to feel them on hers, which annoyed her because she didn't understand why. Maybe it was because she heard he was a good kisser and wanted to see for herself? Or maybe it was something deeper, something she couldn't quite put into words.

All of her rationality faded away, replaced by an uncontrollable desire. She imagined how his lips would feel against hers, how his hands would cradle her face or pull her closer. Noel's attention flickered to her lips, and she wondered if he was thinking the same thing.

"You're thinking about it too, aren't you?" Noel asked, bringing her eyes up to meet his. "About what could've been?"

Spencer looked away, forcing herself to concentrate on the board. "You mean the kiss?"

"Yeah. I should apologize. That was my first real conversation with you, and my immediate instinct was to kiss you. It was wrong."

"Don't be sorry. At that moment, I wanted to kiss you too."

"And now?"

She couldn't answer because Mr. Fitz intervened. "The board is this way, Miss Hastings."

She turned to face him, irritated. Of course he'd interrupt her moment.

He grabbed papers and passed them out. "I've graded your assignments. I'm impressed with most of you." He handed Noel his paper, which showed an A.

Noel grinned. "Sweet!"

Mr. Fitz looked down at Spencer, his face stern. "But some of you let me down." He slammed Spencer's paper on her desk. Her heart stopped when she saw the big red F staring back at her. Her fingers trembled as she gripped the page and stared in confusion.

The F felt like a betrayal of everything she'd worked for. She didn't even want to know what her parents would think. It was bad enough she'd misbehaved lately. This would only reinforce their belief that she was a rebel. Her father would really kick her out this time, accusing her of tarnishing the Hastings name.

Spencer searched for solutions, but there was nothing. She tightened her grip on the paper, crumpling the edges as she struggled to control her emotions.

Noel leaned over. "Wait, an F? You never get Fs."

Spencer shrugged, trying to hide her unhappiness. "It's been a rough week. It's hard to focus, I guess."

Noel nodded. "Maybe you could ask Mr. Fitz for a makeup assignment. Your parents will flip out if they see this."

Yeah. She'd speak to Mr. Fitz. Especially since she and Noel had identical answers, but his were correct while hers were incorrect. This wasn't about her work being bad; it was personal. Mr. Fitz was punishing her for criticizing his relationship with Aria.

She watched the clock until the bell rang. When it happened, she stood up and placed her work on Mr. Fitz's desk as the class left. "Why do I have an F?"

Mr. Fitz looked up, expressionless. "Your work didn't meet the criteria."

"Noel had the same answers as mine. How do you explain that?"

He leaned back. "See, that's your problem. You're always worried about everybody else. When are you going to worry about yourself?"

"I am worried about myself! You're trying to fail me because I don't approve of your illegal relationship!"

"This isn't about Aria. It's about respect. Something you lack, which is unexpected considering who your parents are."

"Don't talk about my parents," she snapped. "But maybe I should tell them about you and what you like to do in your spare time."

"If you tell on me, you'll tell on Aria. I thought we established that?"

"I don't care! Fix my grade!"

"You're in no position to make demands. Your grade stays the same. Now you have two choices: learn to respect authority or keep struggling. It's your choice."

"That's not fair!"

He spoke in a cold and dismissive tone. "Life isn't fair. You're smart enough to know that by now. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have work to do."

"Whatever. This isn't over."

His eyes bored into hers. "For your sake, Spencer, I hope it is."

Spencer groaned and left the classroom, feeling helpless. She wasn't sure how to win this fight. Maybe she couldn't, since she'd already lost.

Emily and Hanna were waiting for her outside. "Uh, what was that about?" Emily asked after witnessing their angry exchange. "Aria again?"

Spencer's jaw clenched as she looked into the classroom. "Something like that."

Hanna waved her hand. "Yeah, yeah. We know Mr. Fitz is a freak. We need to talk about Emily thinking Ben is A."

"He is. I got a text from A before class, and I saw Ben glaring at me with his phone in his hand."

Spencer tried to be reasonable. "Everyone had their phones in their hands."

"But think about it. I'm being targeted."

"We're all being targeted."

Emily disagreed. "How many solo A texts did you get?"

Spencer and Hanna exchanged glances before answering. "Two," Spencer replied. "One," Hanna said.

Emily's point was clear. "I got five. I'm A's main target, and who hates me more than anyone? Ben."

Hanna scowled, a look of confusion on her face. "I don't understand why he would target the rest of us, especially me. I was his friend."

"Maybe you weren't," Emily countered. "It's like you said, we don't know people as well as we think we do, right?" She pulled out her phone and showed them a text message from A, confirming they were the one who passed the photo of her around the school. "Ben spread the passed out photo of me around the school."

"But Ben wasn't at the party," Spencer said.

"What if he was? What if he was in disguise, hiding his messed-up face? Or what if the guy who tried to assault me took the picture and sent it to Ben? He's Ben's minion!"

Hanna pressed on. "How did Ben find out about the Jenna thing?"

"Ben's been watching us for who knows how long. He was probably lurking around that night."

Spencer exhaled and took out her notebook. "Okay, I need to make a list." She labeled the top of the page "A Suspects." "Number one: Ben."

"Put Aria on there too," Hanna ordered.

Aria appeared. "Put Aria where?"

Hanna's tone wasn't friendly. "Oh, look who decided to talk to us again."

"I've been distracted. My father and I don't get along anymore. Mike and I are going to investigate him." She saw their puzzled expressions. "Just know he's shady."

Spencer gave Hanna a look that said, "See? She wasn't around because of her father, not because she's A."

Hanna relented, her face softening as she spoke to Aria. "I know what it's like. Daddy issues take up all your attention."

"Exactly. But now that I'm here, I need to discuss a few things. First, Emily, I heard about Ben and saw the picture of you passed out. I'm sorry this has happened to you."

Emily just nodded. Aria continued. "And I know you're disappointed in me about Ezra. Mr. Fitz," she clarified.

Spencer did a double take. "You're calling him by his first name?"

"Well, yeah, he's my..." Aria looked around and lowered her voice. "Boyfriend."

Emily chimed in. "He shouldn't be. It's illegal."

"You don't understand, Emily. We care about each other."

"That doesn't make it right. He's our teacher. If anyone finds out, it'll ruin both of your lives."

Spencer was in agreement. "Aria, you have to realize how serious this is."

Aria's eyes flooded with emotion. "I know it's wrong, but I adore him. He understands me like no one else."

Spencer reached out and took her hand. "Look, I've been where you are."

Hanna's eyebrows rose. "You have?"

"Yeah. I had a thing with an older guy." She saw Hanna opening her mouth to question her. "Don't ask me who, because I'm not telling." She turned her attention back to Aria. "Older men can make you feel like the center of the universe, but it's an illusion. They want something from you, and when they get it, everything changes."

"Ezra isn't some random creep. He respects me."

"Maybe he respects you in some ways, but that doesn't change the fact that he has power. You're still in high school, Aria. There's so much you haven't experienced yet. He's taking advantage of that."

"You're just assuming the worst."

"No, I'm trying to protect you," Spencer protested. "You deserve someone who's on your level and can grow with you. Not someone who's had their time and wants to relive it through you."

Aria's voice dropped to a whisper. "I really think Ezra's different."

Spencer groaned as she realized she couldn't get through to her. Maybe she could, by telling Aria that Ezra was making her life hell. But her lips refused to form the words. "Fine. Just promise me you'll be careful. Love can sometimes blind us to the truth, and I don't want you to get hurt because of it."

"Okay, I promise."

Spencer smiled before releasing her hand. "Anyway, do you want to help us with Ali's memorial? We were thinking about having a bench built in her honor."

"Even though it might be a waste of time," Hanna added.

Emily rolled her eyes. "She thinks Ali might be alive."

"That's interesting. I got an A text the other night and I could've sworn I saw Alison afterwards," Aria told them.

Hanna gasped. "I knew it!" She sped away, her imagination going crazy. Aria called after her, "But Hanna, it wasn't real!" But Hanna was already gone.

Spencer sighed and shook her head. "Great. You got her going again."

Aria apologized. "My bad. But will the DiLaurentises be there for the unveiling?"

"More than likely."

Aria's face changed. "Then never mind. Jason doesn't need to be here."

Emily wasn't happy about that. "Ali deserves this."

"I know, but if Jason comes back, Ezra-"

Emily cut her off, her voice aggressive with irritation. "Of course it's about him. He's all you care about."

"That's not true, Emily. I've tried to reach out to you countless times, but you always brush me off."

"This is why," Emily said, shaking her head as she left.

Aria sighed before staring at Spencer. "I don't think I'll ever get along with her, Spencer."

"Don't take it personally. She's going through a lot. She's taking this memorial seriously since it's the only thing she can control. But please help? For me?"

Spencer gave Aria puppy dog eyes. Aria couldn't resist her. "Fine. For you." Her eyes went to something over Spencer's shoulder. "Why is Noel staring so hard?"

Spencer caught Noel looking away, trying to play it off. She wanted to chuckle, but held it in. "You know Noel. He's a dog."

"A dog who seems to want your bone." Spencer swallowed hard and Aria's eyes narrowed. "He doesn't, right?"

"Of course not!"

"Good, because I used to want him, remember?"

Shit. How could she forget? Aria had once been madly in love with Noel. It had been years ago, and Noel had never liked Aria back. They'd never dated, so Spencer wouldn't be doing anything wrong by entertaining him. It wasn't like she was stealing him away. But she still had to be careful. Aria's feelings were important and she didn't want to hurt her.

"There's nothing going on between us," Spencer said. "Noel just showed me around his cabin last night. He wanted to be a good host."

Her phone beeped, drawing her attention away from their conversation. She had a new text from A.

What a pretty little liar you are.

-A

A new message arrived. There were three pictures of her and Noel from last night. The first picture was of them talking in the living room. The second showed them at the hot tub. But the most horrifying was the one of them in Noel's bedroom. Their faces were inches apart and they were almost kissing. The color drained from Spencer's face as she stared at the screen.

Aria noticed the change in her expression. "What?"

She tried to look. Spencer's fingers fumbled with her phone, desperate to get out of the photos. She didn't want Aria to freak out on her because she had almost kissed her old crush. But the screen refused to respond as she tapped frantically.

Spencer closed the picture just as Aria moved in to look over her shoulder. She exhaled heavily, trying to compose herself. How was the photo taken? She hadn't sensed anyone in the hallway last night. Then again, it was hard to focus on anything but his lips.

"Spencer, what's wrong?" Aria demanded.

Everything.

Hanna sat in biology class, her eyes glazing over as the teacher talked about cells. She could feel the eyes of her classmates on her. Their whispers were irritating, each one a reminder of her fight with Ben and Mona earlier.

Hanna didn't regret the things she had said to Mona. If Mona wanted to be near Ben, Hanna didn't want to be near her. And slapping Ben? She'd do it again in a heartbeat if he continued to disrespect Emily. The principal needed to suspend him or something because he was making school miserable.

Her second distraction was Aria's statement about seeing Alison. Hanna knew she wasn't crazy to think Alison could fake her death. Aria dismissed it as a hallucination, but how could she be sure? The only way to find out was to visit Alison's grave at Shady Pines Cemetery, like A wanted.

She thought about inviting Aria, Emily, and Spencer. But they'd probably give her a lecture about disturbing the dead, so she might have to do it alone. She just had to be careful not to get caught. Her mother would be unhappy if she got arrested again.

The bell rang. She gathered her things and left the room, the voices following her. Students gave her dirty looks, and she overheard part of a conversation.

"Why would she defend a cheater?" one girl whispered.

"She's probably a cheater, too. Sean should watch out," another girl said.

Hanna rolled her eyes. She didn't understand how Ben suddenly had so much power. The school worshiped him. Whatever he said, they believed without question. It was like a cult.

She pushed through the crowd, ignoring the rude comments. She opened her locker, and a person she actually liked walked up to her: Caleb. He leaned against the lockers. "You okay?"

Hanna put her things away. "No. I hate biology. I mean, who cares how a cell divides? It just does."

"Is that your way of avoiding what's really going on?"

Hanna played dumb. "What's going on?"

"Your bestie was ranting about you."

"That's because she's not my bestie anymore. Ben is destroying Emily's life and Mona's defending him, so..."

"I saw the photo. I'm sorry this is happening. Emily seemed nice," Caleb said.

"She's an angel and bothers no one. So if Ben and Mona want to be bullies, I'm done with them."

Caleb shrugged. "Maybe Mona likes the guy."

Hanna looked horrified. "That's even worse. There's nothing to like about Ben. He's not even that cute."

Caleb chuckled a bit. "Well, I'm on your side."

"Really?"

"Yeah. You're my guide, not them."

Hanna smiled, grateful for his loyalty. "I appreciate you."

She tuned out the girls gossiping as they passed, while Caleb watched them disappear around the corner. "So, what happened at the party? Sean didn't give you a hard time, did he?"

"No, we had a good chat. I'm going to join his virginity club."

Caleb teased her. "Wow. Who knew you were the prude all along?"

Hanna tilted her head. "I'm not. But Sean doesn't believe in sex before marriage, and I want to make him happy. What else am I supposed to do?"

"Get a new boyfriend?"

Sean's face twisted in anger as he appeared. "You'd like that, wouldn't you?"

Caleb straightened up and his lighthearted mood vanished. Hanna mimicked his movements, her heart pounding. She knew a fight was inevitable.

Caleb said, "Relax," and held out his hands in a reassuring gesture. "It was a joke."

"Well, I'm not laughing."

Hanna touched his arm gently. "Calm down, Sean. Caleb's our friend, remember?"

"A friend wouldn't talk about me behind my back."

"I didn't."

"You told my girlfriend to dump me. Do you think that's okay?"

Caleb didn't want to escalate the situation. "My bad, okay? I'll just go." He slung his backpack over his shoulder and looked at Hanna. "See you later, Hanna."

He walked away and Sean said, "You won't see him later."

"Why are you acting like this?"

Sean came closer. "Look, I used to think Caleb was cool, but now he seems two faced. I think he has an ulterior motive."

Hanna's displeasure grew. "Great, now you hate him. The drama never ends."

He corrected her. "I don't hate him, but I don't trust him either. Isn't it strange how he moves here, gets close to you, and now wants you to leave me?"

Hanna crossed her arms. "So what? You think he wants me for himself?"

"Who wouldn't? You're amazing, Hanna."

"I know. But don't worry, Caleb doesn't seem to be interested in romance."

"I still want you to stay away from him."

"I can't. I have to make him feel welcome, remember?"

"Let Mona do it!"

Hanna objected. "Absolutely not. I don't want her around him, and I don't want you around Ben. They're dead to us." He remained silent, and she looked at him for confirmation. "Right?"

Sean hesitated, his eyes flashing with apprehension. "I don't know..."

"Sean! You can't be around a guy who has problems with your girlfriend!"

He sighed, conflicted. "I know, but if I stay away from Ben, then I have to stay away from Noel. I don't want to do that."

The bell rang, echoing down the hall. Hanna looked up at the ceiling, following the sound, and then back at Sean. "We'll talk about it later. We're still on for virginity club?"

Sean nodded, a faint smile breaking through the tension. "Yes. I can't wait for them to meet you."

Hanna couldn't wait to meet them either. Hopefully she'd be able to find new friends to replace Mona and Ben.

Emily walked down the hall, phone in hand, texting Maya. Maya asked about her day since they had different classes. Emily's answer was negative, since Rosewood High was a constant source of negativity.

Emily: Honestly, it's not great. This place is just...ugh.

Maya: What's going on?

Emily: The school still thinks badly of me. They even hate Hanna for defending me. Ben is single-handedly ruining our lives. I can't wait for graduation or for him to be expelled.

Emily hit send, wishing she could express how overwhelming it all felt. Ben had made her life a nightmare, and she hated herself for ever getting involved with him. She should've picked a better rebound, maybe someone like Noel. Despite his bad-boy reputation, he seemed superior to Ben.

Approaching the chemistry lab, she saw Toby. He was someone she rarely saw during the day, but now he was there. Why was that?

She didn't want to be seen with him, but she needed answers. She walked up to him, her eyes narrowed and her voice suspicious. "What are you doing here?"

Toby looked up, shocked to see her. "The principal put me in this class."

"He did? Or did you tell him to?"

"I did, but not for you. I couldn't stay in the other class. Ben was there, and—"

"It was toxic," Emily finished for him, her tone knowing. Toby nodded, a frown on his face. "Yeah, that sums him up," Emily said. "Well, welcome, I guess."

She walked into the classroom, Toby following her. As she walked through the door, the teacher's voice rang out. "Emily! I'm glad you're with Toby because he's going to be your partner."

Her loud volume drew the attention of the entire class. Whispers and snickers about how she and Toby were already "partners" flooded the room. It made Emily want to tell the teacher no, to avoid fueling the rumor mill, but she wasn't the type to question authority. That was her friends' specialty.

She forced a smile and nodded. "I don't mind."

Her smile faded as the teacher turned away. She dragged her feet to her table, and Toby sat next to her, putting on his goggles. Emily did the same, waiting for class to begin. She saw other pairs chatting happily, while she and Toby sat in awkward silence. She had no intention of starting a conversation, and he seemed equally disinterested, scribbling on his lap.

A paper ball landed on the back of Toby's head. Emily turned to see two boys throwing more. Toby was trying hard to stay calm, but after seeing him lash out at Ben, she knew how violent he could become when provoked. She intervened—not to defend him, but because she was tired of the bullying.

Another paper ball flew and she snapped. "Is that necessary?"

"Oh, look at you, defending your man," one of the boys sneered.

"He's not my man. But you know what you are? A bully."

"Better than a cheater."

Emily turned around, her cheeks flushed with anger. She looked at the chemicals in front of her and wanted to throw them. Not at the boys, but at Ben for starting this madness.

Toby knew she didn't want to talk, but he asked anyway. "Are you okay?"

"Are you?"

"No," Toby said, pointing at something splattered on his shirt. The white foam stuck to the fabric. "You see this? Some boys put shaving cream in my locker, and it got all over me. They said, 'Courtesy of Ben.'" His tone grew very serious. "He has an army, Emily."

Yes, he did. Which proved once again that he had a lot of power. Proving he was A.

Emily looked around, the rumors weighing on her. "It sucks that everyone thinks we're in love. This is going to be a bad year." Again.

"It doesn't have to be all bad. Can't we be friendly? It'd be a win-win for both of us."

"Maybe. But if we're seen talking, the rumors will never stop."

"That's the downside," Toby admitted, his eyes dropping. "I probably shouldn't say this, but I don't know what you saw in Ben."

Nothing. He was a rebound. But she couldn't say it. "I guess it was one of those situations where the person doesn't show their true colors until later."

"Well, I'm sorry for fighting him. I should've minded my business."

"No, you shouldn't have," Emily replied, surprising both herself and Toby. But it was true. She had to let go of her anger and acknowledge that he'd done the right thing. He didn't have to defend her, but he did. She appreciated that, especially considering all the hate she'd received. "I wish more guys would step in when they see a girl being mistreated. You did the right thing. Never apologize for it."

Toby's demeanor changed to something almost mischievous. "I'd do it again, you know."

She chuckled. "I know you would. So, thank you. But, um, I should apologize, too. About Jenna..."

"I'm not mad about that."

"You should be. We had you sent away."

"No. You freed me."

She didn't understand but couldn't question him, since the lesson was starting. Emily had expected the worst, but it turned out to be quite simple. They mixed the chemicals with synchronicity, following the instructions. At one point, the liquid foamed over the flask, and they shrieked and recoiled.

Then their shock turned to laughter. Emily couldn't remember the last time she had laughed so much in class. In that moment, she forgot about her classmates. Instead, she focused on the fun and joy of the moment. Toby seemed to do the same.

They continued to work, exchanging smiles and comments about the experiment. And Emily realized that maybe, just maybe, they could be cordial.

School was over, but Hanna couldn't leave those toxic hallways just yet. She had to go to Sean's virginity club meeting, and she was grateful for the opportunity to spend time with him because she hadn't been able to during lunch. Because of Mona and Ben, she wasn't allowed to sit at their lunch table. Hanna didn't want to sit with them anyway; she just wanted to be with Sean. But that couldn't be, so she sat with her girls instead.

Caleb sat with her, which made Sean suspicious. Sean had tried to join them, but Hanna had stopped him, knowing he didn't want to lose his bros. She wished Ben wasn't considered one of his brothers, though.

Hanna had introduced Caleb to Aria and Spencer, which was great. They enjoyed themselves, and she looked forward to having more fun at the Virginity Club. It was a stress-free haven with kind, respectful people.

Hanna approached the club room and noticed Sean standing outside, his face lighting up when he saw her. "Hanna, welcome to Real Love Waits!"

"I'm ready," she replied, taking his hand. They walked in together, and the room was filled with students talking quietly. Paige McCullers' familiar face caught Hanna's eye. She noticed them and motioned for Sean to come over. He brought Hanna over to where Paige was standing.

"Hey, Sean. Hi, Hanna," Paige said.

Hanna's eyebrows knitted together. "Aren't you a swimmer?"

"And?"

"And why are you here?"

"I come here on days when I don't have practice," she explained.

"So you're against sex too?" Hanna asked.

Paige shrugged and glanced around. "I joined to make friends, but over time I came to love what the club stands for." She rubbed Sean's shoulder affectionately. "Sean has been so welcoming as well. He makes it worthwhile to be here."

Hanna clasped Sean's arm possessively. "Isn't he the sweetest? That's why he's mine," she said, planting kisses on his cheek to make sure Paige understood. Paige watched the display with a strange expression as the instructor entered.

"Sorry for being late, everyone. Take your seats."

Sean cleared his throat and stood up straighter. "Before we start, I'd like to introduce my girlfriend, Hanna. She'll be joining us from now on."

A chorus of "Hi, Hanna" echoed around the room. The instructor smiled. "Yes, hello, Hanna. I hope you like it here."

"I think I will," she said as she sat next to Sean. As she took her seat, she recognized another familiar face: Lucas Gottesman. He was there too? It wasn't that surprising. It wasn't like he could find a lover to have sex with...

The instructor clapped his hands. "Alright, let's not waste any time. I need two people to lead us through the exercise."

"I'll go," Sean said, stepping to the center of the room.

"Paige, why don't you join him?"

Hanna's hand went up in protest. "Why not me? I'm his girlfriend."

"You're new, Hanna. I want you to observe today."

Hanna forced herself to maintain a calm demeanor, but she was already thinking about how she'd intervene if Paige went too far.

Sean spoke to the group. "Okay, let's set the scene. We're at Paige's house. We've had dinner, watched a movie, and now we're talking." He looked over at Paige, who nodded.

Sean went into acting mode. "Paige, I've been thinking about us, and I feel like I'm ready to take the next step with you. Like...sex."

Hanna did not like this.

Paige looked thoughtful before shaking her head. "Sean, I can't."

"Well, when can you? We've been together for a while."

"I know. I'm just not ready, and you have to understand that."

"This is hard. I really like you, and I thought this could be something we could experience together. But... I respect your feelings. I can wait," Sean replied.

"Thank you. It means a lot that you're willing to wait until we're both completely sure," Paige said, reaching out to hold his hand. Hanna couldn't believe what happened next. They leaned towards each other as if they were going to kiss. Hanna got out of her seat just as their lips were about to meet.

"CUT!" she shouted.

Paige and Sean froze before slowly pulling back. The instructor raised one eyebrow. "Hanna, is there a problem?"

"Yes, I have a problem. They were going to kiss!"

Sean spoke. "Hanna, it's role-playing. It's not real."

"Role playing, huh? Okay, now it's my turn." Hanna surveyed the room. She focused on the boy sitting next to her. "Lucas!"

Lucas looked absolutely horrified. "Uh, what?"

Hanna didn't give him a chance to argue. She pulled him to his feet and kissed him. He felt sweaty and tasted garlicky, but she did her best to pretend she loved it. Lucas' eyes went wide when she finally pulled away from him. He stared at Sean, frightened, and Hanna looked too. Sean's face was as red as a tomato.

She grabbed her purse, getting ready to leave. "Great session! Let's do it again sometime!"

Sike. She would never go back to that stupid club. Why should she? Sean didn't need her. He had Paige.

Aria and Mike burst through the front door of their home. Aria chose not to see Ezra, and Mike skipped lacrosse. They needed to find out the truth about their father and Meredith. Was he cheating or not?

They rushed up the stairs, their footsteps echoing through the empty house. They went to their parents' room and Mike pushed open the door. The room was tidy but was about to be messier. Byron wasn't home yet, so they felt no need to be secretive.

Aria looked at the clock. "Dad will be home soon, so we don't have much time."

"What are we looking for?"

"Check his desk."

Mike approached the desk, rifling through papers and drawers with a determined look on his face. Aria went to the bedside table and opened the drawer, but saw nothing unusual. Mike's search brought similar results. "I don't see anything."

Aria nibbled the inside of her lip. "Okay, they've been sending each other messages. Let's start there."

"You want to check his email?"

"Yeah." Aria went to the computer. The lock screen greeted her. "Damn, he set a passcode."

"I know it." He punched in five numbers and the computer unlocked.

Aria was impressed. "What did you put in?"

"1-18-9-1," Mike said with a slight grin.

"I don't get it."

"It's code for Aria," Mike explained, watching the look of awareness on her face. She realized that each number represented a letter of the alphabet. "I know he's stupid, but he loves you, Aria."

Maybe he did, since he could've changed the passcode at any time, but didn't. It was too bad Aria couldn't say she loved him, too.

Mike sat, the light from the computer screen illuminating his face. Aria stood behind him, arms crossed. "Okay, let's start with his inbox," Mike said, navigating to their father's email provider. Luckily, he was still logged in.

He scanned the list of emails in the inbox. There were messages from colleagues, newsletters, and a few personal emails, but none from Meredith. "Nothing here."

"Check his sent mail," Aria said, leaning over his shoulder.

Mike went to the Sent folder. There were several messages, but none for Meredith. Aria chewed her lip as she thought. "Maybe he deleted them. Check the trash."

Mike selected the trash folder. They watched as the deleted emails appeared on the screen. He scrolled through them, his eyes narrowing in concentration, but there was no trace of Meredith.

"Nothing here either," Mike said, his voice tinged with disappointment as he leaned back in his chair.

"We'll need to spy on him," she said, shutting off the computer. "Come on, let's go."

"Where?"

"To Hollis!"

…

Aria and Mike crouched behind a huge oak tree on the campus of Hollis College, watching the swarm of students and teachers leave the buildings. Their father wasn't among them.

Mike whispered, "I thought you said he was leaving campus."

"He should be!" She feared the worst. "Oh god, what if he and Meredith are in his office?"

Mike noticed a familiar figure. "No, look."

He pointed, and there she was: Meredith, walking towards the exit. Their father wasn't with her, but that didn't mean she wasn't on her way to meet him.

Aria grabbed Mike's arm. "We have to follow her."

Mike didn't argue. They followed Meredith at a safe distance, moving through the dwindling crowd. After a while, she reached a building, and they quickened, slipping in before the door shut.

"This must be where she lives," Mike said quietly.

Meredith took the stairs and they followed, their footsteps barely audible on the stairs. They paused on the second floor, looking for any sign of her. But the hallway was silent.

"Which floor did she go to?" Aria whispered as she glanced around the corner.

Suddenly, a voice behind them startled her. "Looking for someone?"

When they turned around, it was Meredith. Aria and Mike exchanged uncomfortable glances, caught off guard and unsure how to react.

"We were just, um, looking for our dad." Aria tried to sound nonchalant, but her voice wavered.

"Why would your dad be in my building?"

Mike's voice hardened. "You know why."

Meredith saw the venom in his eyes and understood. "Oh, I get it. You know about the affair."

"Yes, we do." Aria dropped her nice act. "Why would you pursue a taken man? Have you no shame?"

"And you're still chasing him," Mike said.

Meredith chuckled coldly. "Honey, if I wanted your father, I'd have him by now. Do you have any idea how easy it would be for me to take him away from Ella? I don't mean to be rude, but your mother has nothing on me."

"She's miles ahead of you," Mike replied.

"Is that so?"

"Yeah, she's not a skank."

Aria always warned him about talking rudely to women, but this time it was justified.

Meredith's lips formed a cruel smile. "I guess skanks are your father's type. How sad."

Aria made her point. "Look, I don't care if you quit your job or leave Rosewood. Just leave him alone. And don't ever come to our house again. How disrespectful are you?"

"Very. And since you're already assuming there's something going on between us, maybe I will make a move on Byron. It's about time I got my man back, don't you think?"

Aria felt a feeling of revulsion. "Wow. I've never seen someone so proud of being the other woman. You're a homewrecker, Meredith."

"And you're a nosy brat, so stay out of my way."

Aria wasn't intimidated. "Or what?"

"Try me and find out," Meredith threatened, her eyes glittering wickedly. She entered an apartment and slammed the door behind her. The message was clear: she didn't have time for them.

Aria stepped to the door, pulled out her phone, and snapped a picture of the apartment number.

Mike wondered, "What's that for?"

"In case she tries me."

"So, what's going on with you and Toby?" Maya asked as they walked to Emily's house later. She had see Emily saying goodbye to Toby in the hallway after chemistry, and had raised an eyebrow in silent question, but Emily hadn't had time to explain. "After everything, you two are friends now?"

"We're not friends. More like...acquaintances," Emily said with a shrug. "We worked together and enjoyed it. He wasn't that bad."

"So you forgive him for ruining your life?"

"That's the thing: he didn't. He did the right thing by protecting me from Ben. It was brave."

Maya nodded, but was still worried. "What if the school catches you talking?"

Emily's expression brightened. "For the first time, I didn't care about their thoughts. I did what I wanted and it felt incredible."

Maya smiled, thrilled for her. "That's great, babe. You should feel like that all the time."

"I realize that. I'm tired of doing what others want me to do. If they have a problem with me talking to Toby, that's their issue, not mine."

Maya squeezed her arm in support. "You deserve to be happy and do whatever you want. If Toby isn't as horrible as everyone thinks he is, then good on you for giving him a chance. And if anyone criticizes you, I'll take care of them. Especially him."

Maya looked ahead and Emily saw Ben walking down the street from her house. She hated seeing him, especially after everything he'd done. She was even more angry to see him in deep conversation with Paige. They hadn't spoken before, so it was suspicious.

Emily rushed towards them without hesitation. Maya was right behind, ready to support.

"What are you doing here, Ben?" Emily demanded, her eyes hardening as she focused on Paige. "With Paige?"

Paige answered. "Actually, we were talking about you."

"Why am I not surprised?" She focused her glare on Ben. "You know, for someone who hates me, you can't stop talking about me."

"Paige started the conversation. She apologized to me."

"For what?"

"For your betrayal," Paige said.

Maya stepped forward. "Do you really believe that crap?"

"Why would he lie?"

"Because he's a petty fuckboy. Can't you see that?"

Paige crossed her arms, unaffected. "Sorry, but who are you anyway?"

Ben interrupted before Maya could answer, trying to intimidate her. "Someone who shouldn't be here. This is our town, German. Don't forget that."

"It's Germain," Maya corrected fearlessly. "And everyone at school may hype you up, but you don't run Rosewood, Ben."

"It looks like I do." Ben opened his arms wide. "Face it, Maya, I'm the king of these streets. If you don't like it, get out. That goes for you too, Em."

He moved through them with a swagger, his shoulder bumping into theirs. Paige followed him, giving Emily a quick glance before hurrying to catch up. Emily watched them go, her irritation bubbling just below the surface. She was dying to get away from him and his arrogant attitude.

Emily and Maya walked down the street towards Emily's house, their encounter with Ben still in the air. As they reached the front door, Emily noticed a box on the doorstep.

"Ooo, you have mail!" Maya exclaimed as she reached down to retrieve the box. It had no label. She turned it over, fascinated.

Emily freaked out. "Be careful!"

"What? You think it's a bomb?"

"Well, yeah. I am the most hated girl in school."

Maya chuckled. "I'm sure it's not. It's..." She opened the box and looked at the contents. "A bracelet. That says Alison?"

Emily picked it up, stunned. Sure enough, it was Alison's friendship bracelet. It was the one she always wore. Even that night. "What the hell?"

"Ditto. Why would someone send you this?"

Emily had no idea, but she was curious to see what other surprises were in store. She ran into the house, glancing around to make sure nothing was amiss. Everything looked normal, so she ran up the stairs to her bedroom.

She gasped as she entered her room. A disturbing message, written in bold red lipstick on her bedside mirror, read: "If you want more, go to the grave."

Alison's bracelet had unsettled her, but this message took her fear to a whole new level. She felt violated, knowing someone had invaded her personal space. It had to be A, right? They were the only person who seemed obsessed with Alison's grave.

Emily was tired of the mind games and threats. She would never disturb Alison's grave, regardless of A's actions or words. She wouldn't get arrested over A's foolishness.

Maya entered the room and noticed the message. "What grave?"

Emily didn't answer. Instead, she pulled out her phone and sent a message to her friends, including Aria. S.O.S. They understood what it meant: drop everything and get to her place as soon as possible. While she waited, she paced the room. Maya peppered her with questions, but Emily couldn't bring herself to answer. She wasn't sure how much she should reveal.

Minutes felt like hours as she paced, her anxiety growing. Finally, she heard the doorbell ring. Emily ran downstairs and opened the door, relief washing over her as her friends rushed in.

"Em, are you okay?" Spencer inquired, looking around as if she expected to see the source of Emily's distress.

"There's a lot I need to tell you," Emily said. But she couldn't say it in front of Maya. "Maya, can you stay here and keep an eye out?"

Maya nodded. Emily led the other girls upstairs with fear and urgency. When they reached her room, she turned to them and held out the bracelet. "This was sent to me."

Aria pointed at it. "Alison's bracelet? The one she was wearing the night she died?"

Emily nodded, her face paler. "Yes. And then I saw this." She pointed to the mirror. They gathered around it, their breath catching in their throats as they read the message scrawled across it.

Aria was taken aback. "What grave?"

"A wanted us to dig Alison's grave." Hanna studied the mirror. "But did A write this message? I don't see a signature at the end."

Spencer pondered. "Maybe it's because Maya's here. Maybe A doesn't want her asking questions."

Emily spoke. "Well, she is. And I don't know what to say."

"Don't say anything. We can't involve anyone else until we know who A is," Aria warned.

"It's Ben. I saw him down the street."

Hanna was skeptical. "How would he get lipstick?"

"Well, I also saw him with Paige."

"Paige?" Hanna's face clouded with bitterness. "I despise that girl. She was all over Sean."

"Yeah, she's getting closer to Ben too. Coincidence? I don't think so."

Aria frowned thoughtfully. "But Paige doesn't wear jungle-red lipstick."

Hanna put it all together. "We all know who did, though... Alison."

Emily didn't want to hear that crazy theory again. Alison would never make her life so difficult. "Maybe Paige bought the lipstick to do this crap."

Aria was unsure. "But isn't she on the swim team with you?"

"So what? She's made it clear she's on Ben's side, like everyone else in this god-awful town."

Aria came to a conclusion. "Okay, that settles it. Ben and Paige are harassing us."

Spencer concentrated on the message on the mirror. "No."

Aria looked baffled. "What do you mean, 'no'?"

Spencer pointed at the mirror. "Look, guys. Where have we seen this lipstick color recently?" The group shared blank stares. Spencer continued, "At lunch with Jenna. She put it on."

Hanna found it hard to believe. "Are you saying that the blind girl is A? How is that possible?"

Spencer shrugged. "Maybe she has help. Like Toby."

Emily defended him. "It's not him."

Spencer's expression soured. "We're defending him now?"

Emily's eyes begged for understanding. "Please trust me, okay? It's not him."

Spencer refused to let go. "They're your neighbors, Emily. It's not impossible. I mean, Jenna was at the party. And isn't it funny how Toby came back and immediately ruined your life? He gave A a lot of ammunition. Because he's her helper."

Emily refused to accept it. Toby was very nice in class. "It's Ben. End of story."

Hanna spoke. "It might be time for security cameras, ladies. This town has gotten too wicked." She started to leave, stopping at the door. "Anyway, I'd love to stay and chat, but I have to go see Tom."

Spencer looked curious. "I thought he left."

"Well, he's back, and he's out to ruin my happiness. T.T.Y.L," she said, waving before disappearing.

Emily stared at the bracelet in her hand. Aria placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "We'll help you clean the mirror before your mom gets home, okay?"

Emily nodded, glad for Aria's support despite their disagreements. She held up the bracelet. "What am I supposed to do with this?"

"Well, we can't give it to the police. We'll be suspects. Just keep it somewhere safe," Spencer advised.

"If only I could keep myself safe," Emily muttered as she put the bracelet on her nightstand.

"Don't worry. We'll put an end to A, whoever they are," Aria said.

When they do, A will wish they hadn't crossed them.